Plasma processing devices having multi-port valve assemblies

ABSTRACT

A plasma processing device may include a plasma processing chamber, a plasma electrode assembly, a wafer stage, a plasma producing gas inlet, a plurality of vacuum ports, at least one vacuum pump, and a multi-port valve assembly. The multi-port valve assembly may comprise a movable seal plate positioned in the plasma processing chamber. The movable seal plate may comprise a transverse port sealing surface that is shaped and sized to completely overlap the plurality of vacuum ports in a closed state, to partially overlap the plurality of vacuum ports in a partially open state, and to avoid substantial overlap of the plurality of vacuum ports in an open state. The multi-port valve assembly may comprise a transverse actuator coupled to the movable seal plate and a sealing actuator coupled to the movable seal plate.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of and claims priority, under 35U.S.C. § 120, to co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 14/880,088, filedon Oct. 9, 2015, and titled “Plasma Processing Devices Having Multi-PortValve Assemblies”, which is a continuation-in-part of and claimspriority, under 35 U.S.C. § 120, to U.S. application Ser. No.13/965,796, filed on Aug. 13, 2013, and titled “Plasma ProcessingDevices Having Multi-Port Valve Assemblies”, both of which areincorporated by reference herein in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present specification generally relates to plasma processing devicesand, more specifically, to valves for plasma processing devices.

SUMMARY

Plasma processing devices typically comprise a plasma processing chamberthat is connected to one or more vacuum pumps. The plasma processingdevice may comprise one or more valves that regulate the fluidcommunication between the chamber and the vacuum pumps. Embodimentsdescribed herein relate to plasma processing devices having multi-portvalve assemblies. According to one embodiment, a plasma processingdevice may comprise a plasma processing chamber, a plasma electrodeassembly, a wafer stage, a plasma producing gas inlet, a plurality ofvacuum ports, at least one vacuum pump, and a multi-port valve assembly.The plasma electrode assembly and the wafer stage may be positioned inthe plasma processing chamber and the plasma producing gas inlet may bein fluid communication with the plasma processing chamber. The vacuumpump may be in fluid communication with the plasma processing chambervia at least one of the vacuum ports. The multi-port valve assembly maycomprise a movable seal plate positioned in the plasma processingchamber. The movable seal plate may comprise a transverse port sealingsurface that is shaped and sized to completely overlap the plurality ofvacuum ports in a closed state, to partially overlap the plurality ofvacuum ports in a partially open state, and to avoid substantial overlapof the plurality of vacuum ports in an open state. The multi-port valveassembly may comprise a transverse actuator coupled to the movable sealplate, the transverse actuator defining a transverse range of actuationsufficient to transition the movable seal plate in a transversedirection between the closed state, the partially open state, and theopen state, the transverse direction being oriented to be in predominantalignment with a sealing surface of the movable seal plate. Themulti-port valve assembly may comprise a sealing actuator coupled to themovable seal plate, the sealing actuator defining a sealing range ofactuation sufficient to transition the movable seal plate back and forthalong a seal engaging and disengaging path between a sealed state and anun-sealed state, the seal engaging and disengaging path being orientedto be predominantly normal to the sealing surface of the movable sealplate.

In another embodiment, a plasma processing device may comprise a plasmaprocessing chamber, a plasma electrode assembly, a wafer stage, a plasmaproducing gas inlet, a plurality of vacuum ports, at least one vacuumpump, and a multi-port valve assembly. The plasma electrode assembly andthe wafer stage may be positioned in the plasma processing chamber. Theplasma producing gas inlet may be in fluid communication with the plasmaprocessing chamber. The vacuum pump may be in fluid communication withthe plasma processing chamber via at least one of the vacuum ports. Themulti-port valve assembly may comprise a movable seal plate positionedin the plasma processing chamber. The movable seal plate may comprise atransverse port sealing surface that is shaped and sized to completelyoverlap the plurality of vacuum ports in a closed state, to partiallyoverlap the plurality of vacuum ports in a partially open state, and toavoid substantial overlap of the plurality of vacuum ports in an openstate. The multi-port valve assembly may comprise a transverse actuatorcoupled to the movable seal plate, the transverse actuator defining atransverse range of actuation sufficient to transition the movable sealplate in a transverse direction between the closed state, the partiallyopen state, and the open state, the transverse direction being orientedto be in predominant alignment with a sealing surface of the movableseal plate. The transverse actuator may comprise a rotary motionactuator and the movable seal plate comprises a rotary movable sealplate comprising a central axis. The multi-port valve assembly maycomprise a sealing actuator coupled to the movable seal plate, thesealing actuator defining a sealing range of actuation sufficient totransition the movable seal plate back and forth along a seal engagingand disengaging path between a sealed state and an un-sealed state, theseal engaging and disengaging path being oriented to be predominantlynormal to the sealing surface of the movable seal plate.

In one embodiment, instead of multiple controllers, e.g., a mastercontroller and a slave controller, etc., and multiple actuators tocontrol multiple valves for multiple openings between a plasmaprocessing chamber and multiple vacuum pumps, a single controller and asingle actuator controls a single valve to open, close, seal, or unsealthe openings simultaneously. The use of the single controller and singleactuator saves time and costs associated with using the multiplecontrollers and actuators. Also, the use of the single actuator savesspace occupied within a plasma processing chamber compared to the use ofmultiple actuators. Moreover, use of the single controller reduceschances of loss of communication between the master controller and slavecontroller while changing positions of the multiple valves.

Additional features and advantages of the embodiments described hereinwill be set forth in the detailed description which follows, and in partwill be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from thatdescription or recognized by practicing the embodiments describedherein, including the detailed description which follows, the claims, aswell as the appended drawings.

It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description andthe following detailed description describe various embodiments and areintended to provide an overview or framework for understanding thenature and character of the claimed subject matter. The accompanyingdrawings are included to provide a further understanding of the variousembodiments, and are incorporated into and constitute a part of thisspecification. The drawings illustrate the various embodiments describedherein, and together with the description serve to explain theprinciples and operations of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 schematically depicts a cut-away front view of a plasmaprocessing device comprising a multi-port valve assembly, according toone or more embodiments of present disclosure;

FIG. 2 schematically depicts a multi-port valve assembly in a closedstate, according to one or more embodiments of present disclosure;

FIG. 3 schematically depicts a multi-port valve assembly in an openstate, according to one or more embodiments of present disclosure;

FIG. 4 schematically depicts a multi-port valve assembly in a partiallyopen state, according to one or more embodiments of present disclosure;

FIG. 5 schematically depicts a of a bearing assembly of a multi-portvalve assembly, according to one or more embodiments of presentdisclosure;

FIG. 6 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of the bearingassembly of FIG. 5, according to one or more embodiments of presentdisclosure;

FIG. 7 schematically depicts a cut-away view of the bearing assembly ofFIG. 5, according to one or more embodiments of present disclosure;

FIG. 8 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a bearingassembly of a multi-port valve assembly, according to one or moreembodiments of present disclosure;

FIG. 9 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a bearingassembly of a multi-port valve assembly, according to one or moreembodiments of present disclosure;

FIG. 10 schematically depicts a multi-port valve assembly, according toone or more embodiments of present disclosure;

FIG. 11 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a bearingassembly of a multi-port valve assembly, according to one or moreembodiments of present disclosure; and

FIG. 12 schematically depicts a cross-sectional view of a bearingassembly of a multi-port valve assembly, according to one or moreembodiments of present disclosure.

FIG. 13A shows an isometric view of a multi-port valve assembly,according to one or more embodiments of present disclosure.

FIG. 13B is an isometric view of a portion of a top plate of themulti-port valve assembly of FIG. 13A, according to one or moreembodiments of present disclosure.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of a portion of a plasma processingchamber, according to one or more embodiments of present disclosure.

FIG. 15A is a flowchart of a method for illustrating use of a valvecontroller for adjusting flow conductance associated with the plasmaprocessing device of FIG. 1, according to one or more embodiments ofpresent disclosure.

FIG. 15B is a flowchart of a method for operating the multi-port valveassembly of FIG. 2 or of FIG. 13A according to a recipe, according toone or more embodiments of present disclosure.

FIG. 16A is a block diagram of a plasma processing system to illustrateuse of a valve controller and an actuator sub-system to controloperation of the multi-port valve assembly of FIG. 2 or of FIG. 13A,according to one or more embodiments of present disclosure.

FIG. 16B includes block diagrams of multiple systems to illustratefunctionality of a valve controller and actuators to control magneticfields to further change positions of lobes of a rigid moveable sealplate or of portions of a top plate with respect to a bottom plate ofthe multi-port valve assembly of FIG. 2 or of FIG. 13A, according to oneor more embodiments of present disclosure.

FIG. 17A is a flowchart of a method for controlling positions of thelobes (FIG. 3) of the rigid moveable seal plate or of the portions ofthe top plate, according to one or more embodiments of presentdisclosure.

FIG. 17B is a flowchart of a method for illustrating that the moveableseal plate is moved in a transverse direction to achieve a high level ofchange in flow conductance and is moved in a vertical direction toachieve a low level of change in flow conductance, according to one ormore embodiments of present disclosure.

FIG. 18A is a flowchart of a method for controlling the multi-port valveassembly of FIG. 2 or of FIG. 13A according to a change in a sensedparameter, according to one or more embodiments of present disclosure.

FIG. 18B is a block diagram of a plasma processing system to illustratethe method of FIG. 18A, according to one or more embodiments of presentdisclosure.

FIG. 19 shows graphs to illustrate a change in flow conductance from aninterior region to vacuum pumps of the plasma processing device of FIG.1 with movement of the moveable seal plate or the top plate, accordingto one or more embodiments of present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of plasmaprocessing apparatuses, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Whenever possible, the same reference numeralswill be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like parts.In one embodiment, the plasma processing device may comprise amulti-port valve assembly that may regulate fluid communication betweena plasma processing chamber of the plasma processing device and vacuumpumps attached thereto. The multi-port valve assembly may comprise amovable seal plate which may be operable to seal multiple vacuum portswhile in a closed position and allow for fluid communication in an openor partially open state. The seal plate may be moved between the closedand open positions with one or more actuators moving a single sealplate. As such, each vacuum port may not require its own valve assemblywith separate actuator and seal plate. Additionally, the multi-portvalve assemblies described herein may not require grease, which maycontaminate the substrate within the plasma processing chamber or thevacuum pumps. Furthermore, the multi-port valve assemblies describedherein may be contained within the plasma processing chamber, allowingfor reduced size of the plasma processing device.

Referring to FIG. 1, a plasma processing device 100 is depicted.Generally, a plasma processing device 100 may be utilized to etchmaterial away from a substrate 112 formed from, for example, asemiconductor, such as silicon, or glass. For example, the substrate 112may be a silicon wafer, for example a 300 mm wafer, a 450 mm wafer, orany other sized wafer. In one embodiment, a plasma processing device 100may comprise at least a plasma processing chamber 110, a plasmaelectrode assembly 118, a wafer stage 120, a plasma producing gas inlet130, at least one vacuum pump 150, a plurality of vacuum ports 142, anda multi-port valve assembly 160. Examples of the wafer stage 120 includea chuck, which includes an electrode and may include other components,e.g., a facility plate, a heater, etc. The plasma processing chamber 110may comprise walls, such as a top wall 114, side walls 116, and a vacuumconnection wall 140, which is a bottom wall of the plasma processingchamber 110. A plurality of vacuum ports 142 may be disposed throughvacuum connection wall 140. While the vacuum connection wall 140 isdepicted on the bottom of the plasma processing chamber 110 in FIG. 1,this position is only illustrative, and the vacuum connection wall 140may be any wall of the plasma processing chamber 110. Each of the atleast one vacuum pumps 150 may be in fluid communication with the plasmaprocessing chamber 110 via at least one of the vacuum ports 142. In oneembodiment, each vacuum pump 150 is in fluid communication with theplasma processing chamber 110 via a separate vacuum port 142. Forexample there may be three vacuum ports 142 disposed in the vacuumconnection wall 140 that each are connected to separate vacuum pumps150, respectively.

The plasma processing chamber 110 comprises an interior region 122within which at least the plasma electrode assembly 118 and the waferstage 120 may be positioned. The plasma processing chamber 110 may beoperable to maintain a low pressure within its interior 122, such aswhile the multi-port valve assembly 160 is in a closed state followingoperation of the vacuum pumps 150. The plasma producing gas inlet 130may be in fluid communication with the plasma processing chamber 110 andmay deliver plasma producing gas into the interior region 122 of theplasma processing chamber 110. The plasma producing gas may be ionizedand transformed into a plasma state gas which may be utilized foretching the substrate 112. For example an energized source (radiofrequency (RF), microwave or other source) can apply energy to theprocess gas to generate the plasma gas. The plasma may etch thesubstrate 112, such as the wafer contained in the interior region 122 ofthe plasma processing chamber 110. The plasma electrode assembly 118 maycomprise a showerhead electrode, and may be operative to specify apattern of etching on the substrate. For example, U.S. Pub. No.2011/0108524 discloses one embodiment of such a plasma processingdevice.

The multi-port valve assembly 160 may comprise a movable seal plate 170.The movable seal plate 170 may comprise a transverse port sealingsurface 141. In some embodiments, the movable seal plate 170 may bepositioned in the interior region 122 of the plasma processing chamber110. The multi-port valve assembly 160 may further comprise a bearingassembly 200. The bearing assembly 200 may be operable to constrain themovement of the movable seal plate 170. Vacuum pumps 150 are depictedthat may each be in fluid communication with the plasma processingdevice 100 via vacuum ports 142 while the movable seal plate 170 of themulti-port valve assembly 160 is in an open or partially open state. Asused herein, an “open state” refers to the state of the multi-port valveassembly 160 where there is fluid communication between the interiorregion 122 of the plasma processing chamber 110 and the vacuum pumps150. As used herein, a “closed state” or “sealed state” refers to thestate of the multi-port valve assembly 160 where there is not fluidcommunication between the interior region 122 of the plasma processingchamber 110 and the vacuum pumps 150. There is a higher amount of fluidcommunication from the interior region 122 to the vacuum pumps 150 whenthe lobes 144 are in an unsealed state compared to when the lobes 144are in the sealed state. As used herein, the open state (sometimesreferred to as “fully open state”), partially open state, and closedstate can refer to either the position of the movable seal plate 170 orthe position of the multi-port valve assembly 160, and the reference toeither the movable seal plate 170 or the multi-port valve assembly 160as being in a particular state may be used interchangeably. The state offluid communication (fully open, partially open, or closed) between thevacuum pumps 150 and the interior region 122 of the plasma processingchamber 110 are determined by the position of the movable seal plate170.

In one embodiment, the multi-port valve assembly 160 is a part of theplasma processing chamber 110.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4, the multi-port valve assembly 160 isdepicted as coupled to the vacuum connection wall 140. The movable sealplate 170 may comprise a transverse port sealing surface 141 (undersideof the movable seal plate 170). In one embodiment, the transverse portsealing surface 141 is substantially flat. The transverse port sealingsurface 141 may be shaped and sized to completely overlap the pluralityof vacuum ports 142 in a closed state (shown in FIG. 2), to partiallyoverlap the plurality of vacuum ports 142 in a partially open state(shown in FIG. 4), and to avoid substantial overlap of the plurality ofvacuum ports 142 in an open state (shown in FIG. 3). For example, anangle θ1 is formed between a transverse axis that passes through acenter C1 of an opening O1 of the valve port 142 and an axis A1 thatpasses through a center of mass of the multi-port valve assembly 160.The axis A1 bisects a first one of the lobes 144 of the moveable sealplate 170. Moreover, an angle θ2 is formed between a transverse axisthat passes through a center C2 of an opening O2 of the valve port 142and an axis A2 that passes through the center of mass of the multi-portvalve assembly 160. The axis A2 bisects a second one of the lobes 144 ofthe moveable seal plate 170. Also, an angle θ3 is formed between atransverse axis that passes through a center C3 of an opening O3 of thevalve port 142 and an axis A3 that passes through the center of mass ofthe multi-port valve assembly 160. The axis A3 bisects a third one ofthe lobes 144 of the moveable seal plate 170.

In one embodiment, the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 are controlled by a valvecontroller, which is further described below so that the three lobes 140are in the partially open, closed, or open positions with respect to theopenings of the valve ports 142.

In an embodiment, the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 are controlled by the valvecontroller such that at all times, the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 are equal.When the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 are equal, a flow conductance ofmaterials via the opening O1 is the same as a flow conductance ofmaterials via the opening O2 and a flow conductance of materials via theopening O3.

The movable seal plate 170 may comprise a unitary structure and maycomprise at least two sealing lobes 144. Each sealing lobe 144 mayoverlap a vacuum port 142 while the movable seal plate 170 is in theclosed state. The sealing lobes 144 may be sized and positioned relativeto each other to overlap corresponding individual vacuum ports 142. Thesealing lobes 144 are positioned on top of a bottom plate 147 of themulti-port valve assembly 160. While FIGS. 2-4 depicts a vacuumconnection wall 140 comprising three vacuum ports 142 with a seal platecomprising three corresponding sealing lobes 144, the vacuum connectionwall 140 may comprise any number of vacuum ports 142 with acorresponding number of sealing lobes 144. For example, FIG. 10schematically depicts a vacuum connection wall 140 comprising two vacuumports 142 with a movable seal plate 170 comprising two correspondingsealing lobes 144. The multi-port valve assembly 160 may comprise abearing assembly 200. The bearing assembly 200 may be disposed under themovable seal plate 170 and may be disposed above the vacuum connectionwall 140, such as between the movable seal plate 170 and the vacuumconnection wall 140.

The multi-port valve assembly 160 may comprise a feed through port 145.The feed through port 145 may surround at least a portion of the plasmaelectrode assembly 118 when configured onto the plasma processing device100, and may allow the multi-port valve assembly 160 to fit around theplasma processing device 100 to inhibit fluid flow between the innerportion of the plasma processing chamber 110 and the surroundingenvironment. In one embodiment, the feed through port 145 may besubstantially circularly shaped, such as to fit around a cylinder shapedsection of a plasma electrode assembly 118. However, the feed throughport 145 may have any shape such as to allow for free movement of themovable seal plate 170. The movable seal plate 170 may be disposedaround the feed through port 145, and may completely surround the feedthrough port 145 in at least two dimensions.

FIG. 2 shows a multi-port valve assembly 160 in the closed state wherethe movable seal plate 170 is positioned such that the transverse portsealing surface 141 completely overlaps the plurality of vacuum ports142. The multi-port valve assembly 160 may restrict fluid communicationwhile in the closed state and form a hermetic seal. FIG. 3 shows amulti-port valve assembly 160 in the open state where the movable sealplate 170 is positioned to avoid substantial overlap with the pluralityof vacuum ports 142. The multi-port valve assembly 160 does notsubstantially restrict fluid communication while in the open state. FIG.4 shows a multi-port valve assembly 160 in the partially open statewhere the movable seal plate 170 is positioned to partially overlap theplurality of vacuum ports 142. The multi-port valve assembly 160partially restricts fluid communication while in the partially openstate. The partially open state may be utilized to throttle the vacuumpumps 150.

As shown in FIGS. 2-4, the movable seal plate 170 may be capable ofmoving in the transverse direction. As used herein, the “transverse”refers to a direction being oriented to be in predominant alignment witha sealing surface of the movable seal plate 170. For example, in FIGS.2-4, the “transverse” direction lies substantially in the plane of thex-axis and y-axis. For example the seal plate 170 may move in arotational or rotary path, referred to herein as a rotary seal plate. Insome embodiments, the movable seal plate 170 may be a rotary movableseal plate. A rotary movable seal plate 170 may be capable of rotatingaround a central axis. Such a rotary movable seal plate 170 is depictedin the embodiments of FIGS. 2-4.

In some embodiments, the multi-port valve assembly 160 may comprise atransverse actuator. The transverse actuator may be coupled to themovable seal plate 170 and may define a transverse range of actuation.The transverse range of actuation may be sufficient to transition themovable seal plate 170 in a transverse direction between the closedstate, the partially open state, and the open state. The transverseactuator may be any mechanical component capable of transitioning themovable seal plate 170 in a transverse direction, such as between theopen and closed states. In one embodiment, the transverse actuator maybe coupled by direct mechanical contact with the movable seal plate 170.In another embodiment, the transverse actuator may be coupled throughnon-contacting means, such as by magnetism. In one embodiment, thetransverse actuator comprises a rotary motion actuator which can causethe movable seal plate 170 to rotate around a central axis, e.g., avertical axis 149, of the bottom plate 147. The vertical axis 149 passesthrough a center of mass of the bottom plate 147.

The movable seal plate 170 may be capable of moving in a sealengaging/disengaging path. As used herein, the “engaging path” or“disengaging path” refers to the path being oriented to be predominantlynormal to the sealing surface of the movable seal plate 170. Forexample, in FIGS. 2-4, the engaging path direction is substantially thatof the z-axis. The movable seal plate 170 may be operable to move atleast about 2 mm, 4 mm, 6 mm, 8 mm 10 mm, 12 mm, 20 mm, 50 mm, or morein the direction of the seal engaging/disengaging path. In oneembodiment, the seal plate is operable to move between about 10 mm andabout 15 mm in the direction of the seal engaging/disengaging path.

In some embodiments, the multi-port valve assembly 160 may comprise asealing actuator. The sealing actuator may be coupled to the movableseal plate 170 and may define a sealing range of actuation. The sealingrange of actuation may be sufficient to transition the movable sealplate 170 back and forth along the seal engaging and disengaging pathbetween a sealed state and an un-sealed state. In one embodiment, thesealing actuator may be coupled by direct mechanical contact with themovable seal plate 170. In another embodiment, the sealing actuator maybe coupled through non-contacting means, such as by magnetism.

In one embodiment, the movable seal plate 170 may be capable of movingin both the transverse direction and seal engaging/disengaging pathdirection.

Referring now to FIG. 3, in one embodiment, the multi-port valveassembly 160 may comprise at least one o-ring 148. The o-ring 148 may bepositioned around one or more of the vacuum ports 142. The movable sealplate 170 may be in direct contact with each o-ring 148 while themovable seal plate 170 is in the closed state. The o-rings 148 may helpto form a hermetic seal while the movable seal plate 170 is closed.

In one embodiment, the movable seal plate 170 transitions between theclosed, partially open, and open states by movement of the seal plate170 in both the transverse and sealing directions. In some embodiments,the movement of the seal plate 170 in the transverse and sealingdirections may actuated by the transverse actuator and the sealingactuator, respectively. In other embodiments, the transverse actuatorand the sealing actuator may comprise a single actuator that may actuatemotion of the seal plate 170 in both the transverse and sealingdirections.

In one embodiment, the closed state depicted in FIG. 2 may comprise themovable seal plate 170 in contact with the vacuum connection wall 140and overlapping the vacuum ports 142. A hermetic seal may be formed. Themovable seal plate 170 may be held towards the vacuum connection wall140 in the z-axis direction by the sealing actuator.

To move to the partially open state, the sealing actuator may causemovement of the movable seal plate 170 in the z-axis direction away fromthe vacuum connection wall 140. Following movement by the movable sealplate 170 away from the vacuum connection wall 140, the transverseactuator may cause movement of the movable seal plate 170 in thetransverse direction, such as rotation of the movable seal plate 170 tothe partially open state depicted in FIG. 4. The movable seal plate 170may be further rotated to achieve the open state depicted in FIG. 3. Forexample, the seal plate 170 may only need to rotate about 60° betweenthe open and closed states in the embodiment of FIG. 2.

To move the movable seal plate 170 from the open state to the closedstate, the transverse actuator may cause movement of the movable sealplate 170 in the transverse direction, such as rotation of the movableseal plate 170 to the partially open state depicted in FIG. 4. Themovable seal plate 170 may be further rotated by the transverse actuatoruntil it is completely overlapping the vacuum ports 142. Once themovable seal plate 170 is overlapping the vacuum ports 142, the sealingactuator may move the movable seal plate 170 towards the vacuumconnection wall 140 until a hermetic seal is created which does notpermit fluid communication between the plasma processing chamber 110 andthe vacuum pumps 150.

In other embodiments, the movable seal plate 170 may move between openand closed states without utilizing movement in the z-axis direction.For example, the movable seal plate 170 may slide across the vacuumconnection wall 140, staying always in contact with the vacuumconnection wall 140. In another embodiment, the movable seal plate 170may move between open and closed states without utilizing movement intransverse direction. For example, the movable seal plate 170 may moveonly in the z-axis direction to allow for fluid communication anddisallow fluid communication.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 5-7, the multi-port valve assembly 160 mayfurther comprise a bearing assembly 200. The bearing assembly 200 may beoperable to constrain the movement of the movable seal plate 170 in thetransverse direction, a direction of the seal engaging and disengagingpath, or both. While several embodiments of bearing assemblies 200 aredisclosed herein, it should be understood that the bearing assembly 200may be any mechanical or other device or system capable restricting themovement of the movable seal plate 170. For example, in one embodiment,the bearing assembly 200 may define a range of motion constrained by aguiding means such as a track 186.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, in one embodiment, the bearing assembly 200comprises a track 186 and a carriage 180 comprising wheels 184. Thewheels 184 may be coupled to the carriage 180 such that the wheels 184may turn and allow for movement of the carriage 180. FIG. 5 shows acut-away view of an embodiment of such a bearing assembly 200 comprisingwheels 184 on a track 186. The wheels 184 may rest in direct contactwith the track 186. The track 186 and carriage 180 may be circular, anddefine a circular range of motion of the wheels 184. The bearingassembly 200 may further comprise one or more plate attaching members182 which may be mechanically coupled to the movable seal plate 170 (notshown in FIG. 5) and translate motion of the sealing actuator to themovable seal plate 170.

Referring now to FIG. 6, a cross-sectional view through the wheelsection of the bearing assembly 200 of FIG. 5 is shown. The wheel 184may be coupled to the carriage 180 such that the wheel 184 is free torotate and move in the direction of the track 186, which may becircular. The wheel 184 may be in contact with and between the track 186and the movable seal plate 170. The wheels 184 may allow for freemovement of the movable seal plate 170 in a rotational directionrelative to the track 186.

Referring now to FIG. 7, a cut-away view of the bearing assembly 200 ofFIG. 5 is shown which shows a plate attaching member 182. The plateattaching members 182 may be mechanically coupled to the track 186 andthe track 186 may be mechanically coupled to an actuator couplingattachment 190. In one embodiment, the actuator coupling attachment 190may comprise the sealing actuator. For example, the actuator couplingattachment 190 may be a pneumatic actuator that is capable of causingmovement in the z-axis direction of the plate attaching member 182,carriage 180, track 186, and causing movement in the z-axis direction ofthe movable seal plate 170. The actuator coupling attachment 190 mayoperate as a vacuum seal to seal the vacuum portion of the chamber fromthe surrounding atmosphere. In some embodiments, the actuator couplingattachment 190 may comprise bellows 192. The bellows 192 may serve toseparate the vacuum portion of the chamber from the surroundingatmosphere region 122 of the plasma processing chamber 110 when theactuator coupling attachment 190 moves in the z-axis direction.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a cross sectional view of another embodiment ofa bearing assembly 200 is shown. In such an embodiment, the bearingassembly 200 may comprise wheels 184 which are oriented in thetransverse direction with respect to the track 186. The bearing assembly200 may comprise a plate attaching member 182 and actuator couplingattachment 190 which are coupled to the track 186, respectively. In theembodiment of FIG. 8, the wheels 184 may be grooved to match a contouredtrack 186. The wheels 184 may be coupled to the movable seal plate 170directly. FIG. 8 shows the plate attaching member 182 coupled to themovable seal plate 170, which allows for the plate attaching members 182to translate movement to the movable seal plate 170. In such anembodiment, the track 186 and plate attaching member 182 remainstationary while the movable seal plate 170 rotates on the wheels 184.The plate attaching member 182 does not actuate movement of the sealplate 170 in the transverse direction, but does actuate movement of theseal plate 170 in the sealing direction when the actuator couplingattachment 190 is moved in the z-axis direction by the sealing actuator,such as a pneumatic actuator.

Referring now to FIG. 9, another embodiment of the multi-port valveassembly 160 is shown. In some embodiments, the multi-port valveassembly 160 may comprise a labyrinth design 191 comprising interleavedsealing extensions 193,194,195,196. In one embodiment, at least onesealing extension 193,196 may emanate from the movable seal plate 170and at least one sealing extension 194,195 may emanate from a chambermember 197 opposite the sealing surface of the movable seal plate 170.However, any number of sealing extensions 193,194,195,196 may emanatefrom either a chamber member 197 or movable seal plate 170. In oneembodiment, the multi-port valve assembly 160 may comprise the labyrinthdesign 191 on each side of the wheels 184. The labyrinth design 191 maybe operable to obstruct the passage of particles from the interiorregion 122 of the plasma processing chamber 110 to the exterior of theplasma processing chamber 110 and the passage of particles from theexterior of the plasma processing chamber 110 to the interior region 122of the plasma processing chamber 110.

In one embodiment of the plasma processing device 100 comprising alabyrinth design 191, the sealing actuator may actuate movement of themovable seal plate 170, carriage 180, wheels 184, track 186, sealingextension 196, and sealing extension 193 in the sealing direction. Thevacuum connection wall 140, sealing extensions 194, 195, and chambermembers 197 may remain stationary.

In one embodiment, at least a portion of the multi-port valve assembly160 may be electrostatically charged. Electrostatically charged, as usedherein, refers to an electrical charge running through the section ofthe multi-port valve assembly 160. For example, in one embodiment, atleast one of the interleaved sealing extensions 193,194,195,196 may beelectrostatically charged. The charge may serve to attract or detractparticles. For example, the charge may be operable to obstruct thepassage of particles from the interior region 122 of the plasmaprocessing chamber 110 to the exterior of the plasma processing chamber110 and the passage of particles from the exterior of the plasmaprocessing chamber 110 to the interior region 122 of the plasmaprocessing chamber 110.

Referring now to FIG. 10, in one embodiment, the transverse actuator maycomprise a mechanical crank 164. The mechanical crank 164 may beoperable to move the seal plate 170 in the transverse direction. Themechanical crank 164 may comprise a crank shaft 162 coupled to themovable seal plate 170 at a coupling point 165. The coupling point 165may mechanically couple the mechanical crank 164 to the movable sealplate 170 while allowing the coupling point 165 to slide along the edgeof the movable seal plate 170. The crank shaft 162 may rotate to movethe movable seal plate 170 in the transverse direction. The crank shaft162 may rotate causing coupling point 165 to slide along the edge ofmovable seal plate 170 and translate movement to the movable seal plate170. In one embodiment, the crank shaft 162 may extend from the exteriorof the plasma processing chamber 110 to the interior region 122 of theplasma processing chamber 110. The rotation of the crank shaft 162 maybe controlled by a motor or other mechanical means.

In another embodiment, the transverse actuator may comprise a magneticsystem. For example, the seal plate 170 may comprise a first magneticcomponent which may be magnetically coupled to a second magneticcomponent that is positioned outside of the plasma processing chamber110. The movement of the second magnetic component may actuate motion ofthe movable seal plate 170 in the transverse direction.

In another embodiment, the multi-port valve assembly 160 may comprise aferro-fluidic seal 174. FIG. 11 shows a cross sectional view of anembodiment of a ferro-fluidic seal 174. The ferro-fluidic seal 174 maycomprise a ferro-fluid 172. In one embodiment, the movable seal plate170 may comprise a plate member 178, and the ferro-fluid 172 may bepositioned between the plate member 178 of the movable seal plate 170and a chamber member 146 opposite the sealing surface of the movableseal plate 170. The ferro-fluidic seal 174 may be a magnetic liquidsealing system that may be used to rotate the movable seal plate 170while maintaining a hermetic seal by means of a physical barrier in theform of the ferro-fluid 172.

In another embodiment, the multi-port valve assembly 160 may comprise amagnetic actuator system. The magnetic actuator system may be operableto levitate the movable seal plate 170. FIG. 12 shows a cross sectionview of an embodiment of a levitating seal plate 170. The seal plate 170may comprise a plate member 176 that is contoured to the shape of thevacuum connection wall 140. The movable seal plate 170 may comprise afirst magnetic component. The first magnetic component may bemagnetically coupled to a second magnetic component that is positionedoutside of the plasma processing chamber 110. The magnetic system mayactuate the movement of the movable seal plate 170 in the transverse andsealing directions.

In such one embodiment, the transverse actuator may comprise a magneticactuator system and the sealing actuator may comprise a magneticactuator system. The transverse actuator and the sealing actuator maycomprise the same magnetic actuator system. In the embodiment shown inFIG. 12, the magnetic actuator system is operable to levitate themovable seal plate 170 and actuate its motion from the closed to openstates and vice versa.

FIG. 13A includes an isometric view of a multi-port valve assembly 1300.The multi-port valve assembly 1300 is fitted at the bottom of the plasmaprocessing chamber 110 (FIG. 1) in the same manner in which themulti-port valve assembly 160 (FIG. 2) is fitted. For example, themulti-port valve assembly 1300 is screwed and/or bolted to the sidewalls 116 of the plasma processing chamber 160 and any space between theside walls 116 and the multi-port valve assembly 1300 is sealed. Asanother example, the multi-port valve assembly 1300 is welded orchemically bonded or both to the side walls 116.

The multi-port valve assembly 1300 includes a top plate 1304 and thebottom plate 147. The top plate 1304 is moveable with respect to thebottom plate 147 in a manner in which the moveable seal plate 170 (FIG.3) is moveable with respect to the bottom plate 147. For example, thetop plate 1304 rotates or levitates with respect to the bottom plate147. As another example, mechanism used in FIGS. 5 and 6 or FIGS. 7 and8 or FIG. 9 is used to support the top plate 1304 with respect to thebottom plate 147.

The top plate 1304 includes multiple openings 1306A, 1306B, and 1306C,which are of the same shape as that of the multiple openings of thebottom plate 147. The opening 1306A is between a portion 1302A and aportion 1302B and the opening 1306B is between the portion 1302B and aportion 1302C. The opening 1306C is between the portion 1302C and theportion 1302A.

The portion 1302A is located between a portion of the feed through port145 of the multi-port valve assembly 1300, the openings 1306A and 1306C,and a portion of a peripheral edge of the top plate 1304. Similarly, theportion 1302B is located between a portion of the feed through port 145,the openings 1306A and 1306B, and a portion of a peripheral edge of thetop plate 1304. Also, the portion 1302C is located between a portion ofthe feed through port 145, the openings 1306B and 1306C, and a portionof a peripheral edge of the top plate 1304.

An edge portion 1310 of the bottom plate 147 includes a coil that isalong the edge portion 1310. For example, the coil within the edgeportion 1310 is located within the entire edge portion 1310 along acircumference of the bottom plate 147. Moreover, an edge portion 1312 ofthe bottom plate 147 includes a coil that is along the edge portion1312. For example, the coil within the edge portion 1312 is locatedwithin the entire edge portion 1312 along a circumference of the bottomplate 147. It should be noted that the edge portion 1312 is locatedabove the edge portion 1310. A removable seal plate 1314 is locatedabove the top plate 1304 and the bottom plate 147 when the top plate1304 is located above the bottom plate 147. Also, a removable chamberliner support 1316 surrounds the feed through port 145.

When a current passes through the coil within the edge portion 1310, anelectric field and a magnetic field are generated surrounding the coil,and the magnetic field is oriented in the vertical direction, e.g.,along the z-axis, pointing upward, pointing downward, etc. Moreover,when a current passes through the coil within the edge portion 1312, anelectric field and a magnetic field are generated surrounding the coil,and the magnetic field is oriented in the transverse direction, e.g.,along an x-y plane between the x-axis and the y-axis, etc. The magneticfields oriented in the transverse direction facilitate a change in theangles θ1, θ2, and θ3 simultaneously. The angle θ1 is formed between atransverse axis that passes through the center C1 of the opening O1 ofthe valve port 142 and the axis A1 that passes through a center of massof the multi-port valve assembly 1300. The axis A1 bisects the portion1302A of the top plate 1304. Moreover, the angle θ2 is formed between atransverse axis that passes through the center C2 of the opening O2 ofthe valve port 142 and the axis A2 that passes through the center ofmass of the multi-port valve assembly 1300. The axis A2 bisects theportion 1302C of the top plate 1304. Also, an angle θ3 is formed betweena transverse axis that passes through the center C3 of an opening O3 ofthe valve port 142 and the axis A3 that passes through the center ofmass of the multi-port valve assembly 1300. The axis A3 bisects theportion 1302B of the top plate 1304.

In one embodiment, the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 are controlled by the valvecontroller, which is further described below, so that the portions1302A, 1302B, and 1302C are in the partially open, closed, or openpositions with respect to the openings of the valve ports 142.

In an embodiment, the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 are controlled by the valvecontroller such that at all times, the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 are equal.

The embodiment of FIG. 13A is shown for use of three vacuum pumps 150.In case two vacuum pumps 150 are used, the top plate 1304 includes twoopenings that are spaced apart from each other. For example, both theopenings are located at an angle of 180 degrees on the top plate 1304and the bottom plate 147 includes two openings that are oriented at 180degrees with respect to each other.

In one embodiment, the multi-port valve assembly 1300 is a part of theplasma processing chamber 110.

FIG. 13B is an isometric view of an embodiment of a portion of the topplate 1304. The top plate 1304 includes one or more magnets 1332, e.g.,permanent magnets, neodymium magnets, rare earth metal magnets, etc.,for levitation, e.g., movement of the top plate 1304 along the z-axis,etc. For example, the top plate 1304 includes a set of magnets, e.g., 2magnets, 4 magnets, etc. The one or more magnets 1332 generatecorresponding one or more magnetic fields that are oriented in thevertical direction for facilitating levitation of the top plate 1304.The top plate 1304 further includes one or more magnets 1334, e.g.,permanent magnets, neodymium magnets, rare earth metal magnets, etc.,for rotation of the top plate 1304 along the x-y plane for throttling aflow of materials from the plasma processing chamber 110 to the vacuumpumps 150. For example, the top plate 1304 includes a series of magnetsalong a radial region of the top plate 1304 for rotation of the topplate 1304. The radial region is a region within a pre-determineddistance from a circumference of the top plate 1304. The one or moremagnets 1334 generate corresponding one or more magnetic fields that areoriented in the transverse direction for facilitating rotation of thetop plate 1304. The top plate 1304 further includes a metallic shield1336 to reduce chances of magnetic fields generated by the one or moremagnets 1332 and 1334 to interfere with processing of the substrate 112(FIG. 1) within the plasma processing chamber 110. A bonded cover 1338of the top plate 1304 provides a cover to the one or more magnets 1332and 1334 within the top plate 1304. In one embodiment, each magnet 1332is of a cylindrical shape and each magnet 1334 is of an arc shape. In anembodiment, a magnet, as used herein, is of any other shape, e.g., barshape, horseshoe shape, disc shape, etc.

When the magnetic field generated by the coil located within the edgeportion 1310 (FIG. 13A) interferes with the magnetic field generated bythe one or more magnets 1332, the top plate 1304 levitates along thez-axis with respect to the bottom plate 147 to seal or unseal theopenings of the vacuum ports 142 (FIG. 13A). Moreover, when the magneticfield generated by the coil located within the edge portion 1312 (FIG.13A) interferes with the magnetic field generated by the one or moremagnets 1334, the top plate 1304 rotates along the x-y plane withrespect to the bottom plate 147 to open, partially open, or close theopenings of the vacuum ports 142.

In one embodiment, the one or more magnets 1334 are equally or unequallyspaced from each other. Similarly, in an embodiment, the one or moremagnets 1336 are equally or unequally spaced from each other.

In an embodiment, an amount of electric current within the coil locatedwithin the edge portion 1312 is controlled by the valve controller,further described below, to control an amount of rotation of the topplate 1304 with respect to the bottom plate 147. For example, the amountof current applied to the coil located within the edge portion 1312 isincreased or decreased so that the magnetic field generated by thecurrent applies a force to the top plate 1304 so that an angle formed bya horizontal axis passing through a center of mass of the top plate 1304and a first one of the one or more magnets 1334 with respect to thex-axis is the same as an angle that was formed by a horizontal axispassing through a center of mass of the top plate 1304 and a second oneof the one or more magnets 1334 with respect to the x-axis. The firstand second magnets are located adjacent to each other in this example.Moreover, the horizontal axis is an axis located in the x-y plane. Asanother example, the amount of current applied to the coil locatedwithin the edge portion 1312 is increased or decreased so that themagnetic field generated by the current applies a force to the top plate1304 so that an angle formed by a horizontal axis passing through acenter of mass of the top plate 1304 and a position between the firstand second magnets with respect to the x-axis is the same as an anglethat was formed by a horizontal axis passing through a center of mass ofthe top plate 1304 and a position between the second magnet and a thirdmagnet with respect to the x-axis. The third magnet is located adjacentto the second magnet and on a side opposite to which the first magnet islocated.

In an embodiment, the one or more magnets 1332 and 1334 are located inthe moveable seal plate 170 (FIG. 2) to facilitate levitation orrotation of the moveable seal plate 170 with respect to the bottom plate147. For example, the one or more magnets 1332 and 1334 are locatedwithin the lobes 144 (FIG. 3) to facilitate control of movement of themoveable seal plate 170 along the z-axis and along the x-y plane.

In one embodiment, when the lobes 144 (FIG. 2) or the portions 1302A,1302B, and 1302C are in an open state in which the openings O1, O2, andO3 are not covered partially or completely by the lobes or the portions1302A, 1302B, and 1302C, such a state of the lobes 144 or the portions1302A, 1302B, and 1302C is sometimes referred to herein as anon-overlapping state. In the non-overlapping state, there is a maximumamount of flow conductance via each of the openings O1, O2, and O3compared to flow conductance for an overlapping state and degrees of apartially overlapping state. In an embodiment, when the lobes 144 (FIG.2) or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C are in a closed state inwhich the openings O1, O2, and O3 are completely covered by the lobes orthe portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C, such a state of the lobes 144 orthe portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C is sometimes referred to herein asthe overlapping state. In the overlapping state, there is no flowconductance or minimal flow conductance from the interior region 122 ofthe plasma processing chamber 110 to the vacuum pumps 150. In oneembodiment, when the lobes 144 (FIG. 2) or the portions 1302A, 1302B,and 1302C are in a partially open state in which the openings O1, O2,and O3 are not completely covered and are not left open by the lobes orthe portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C, such a state of the lobes 144 orthe portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C is sometimes referred to herein asthe partially overlapping state. In the partially overlapping state,when the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 change over time, degrees of thepartially overlapping state change over time. As the angles θ1, θ2, andθ3 increase, degrees of the partially overlapping state increase, andflow conductance associated with each of the openings O1, O2, and O3increase. Similarly, as the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 decrease, degrees ofthe partially overlapping state decrease, and flow conductanceassociated with each of the openings O1, O2, and O3 decrease.

In an embodiment, when the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and1302C are positioned over the openings O1, O2, and O3 so that theopenings are completely covered and sealed by the lobes 144 or theportions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C, such a state of the lobes 144 or theportions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C is a sealed state. In an embodiment,when the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C arepositioned over the openings O1, O2, and O3 so that the openings are notcompletely covered by the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and1302C, and the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C aremoved in a stepwise fashion, e.g., translated, etc., in a verticaldirection along the z-axis, such a state of the lobes 144 or theportions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C is sometimes referred to herein asdegrees of an unsealed state of the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A,1302B, and 1302C. For example, when the lobes 144 are moved in thevertical direction from a position zd1 on the z-axis to a position zd2on the z-axis from the bottom plate 147, there is a change in a degreeof the unsealed state. The position zd1 is associated with a firstdegree of the unsealed state and the position zd2 is associated with asecond degree of the unsealed state.

In one embodiment, as the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and1302C move from being open to being closed, there is a decrease in flowconductance at the openings O1, O2, and O3. Similarly, as the lobes 144or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C move from the being closed tobeing open, there is an increase in flow conductance at the openings O1,O2, and O3. In an embodiment, as the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A,1302B, and 1302C move from the unsealed state to the sealed state, thereis a decrease in flow conductance at the openings O1, O2, and O3.Moreover, as the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C movefrom the sealed state to the unsealed state, there is an increase inflow conductance at the openings O1, O2, and O3.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of an embodiment of a portion 1400 of aplasma processing chamber. The portion 1400 includes a pedestal 1402,e.g., a wafer stage, a chuck, etc., on which the substrate 112 (FIG. 1)is placed for processing the substrate 112. Below the pedestal 1402, isa multi-port valve assembly 1406. The multi-port valve assembly 1406includes a vacuum connection wall 1410, a plurality of flaps 1404A and1404B, and a metal plate 1408 having openings, one for each flap 1404Aand 1404B.

The flaps 1404A and 1404B are hinged with respect to each other androtate along the z-axis about a hinge 1412. For example, a motor, e.g.,a stepper motor, a servo motor, etc., is connected to one or moreconnection links, e.g., shafts, or gears, or a combination thereof,etc., that move in the vertical direction with movement of a rotor ofthe motor. In one embodiment, the motor and the one or more connectionlinks and a driver, e.g., one or more transistors, etc., for driving themotor are parts of the actuator. The one or more connection links are incontact with the flap 1404A or the flap 1404B. The movement of the oneor more connection links in the upward direction opens the flap 1404A orthe flap 1404B, and the movement of the one or more connection links inthe downward direction closes the flap 1404A or the flap 1404B. Theflaps 1404A and 1404B are opened and closed to change an amount of flowconductance between an interior of the plasma chamber and the vacuumpumps 150.

Each flap 1404A and 1404B when closed or sealed covers an opening in themetal plate 1408. For example, the flap 1404A covers the opening in themetal plate 1408 and the opening lies between the vacuum pump 150 and aninterior region of the plasma processing chamber in which the portion1400 is located. As another example, the flap 1404B covers anotheropening in the metal plate 1408 and the opening lies between the vacuumpump 150 and the interior region of the plasma processing chamber inwhich the portion 1400 is located.

In one embodiment, one motor is connected via the connection links tothe flaps 1404A and 1404B to seal, unseal, open, close, or partiallyopen the flaps 1404A and 1404B simultaneously. For example, the flap1404A is open with respect to one of the openings by an amount, e.g.,angle formed with respect to the opening, degrees formed with respect tothe opening, etc., and the amount is the same as an amount by which theflap 1404B is open with respect to another one of the openings. Theopening of the flaps 1404A and 1404B by the same amount results in asimultaneous change in a flow conductance associated with the openings.The motor is controlled by the valve controller. For example, the valvecontroller sends a command signal to a driver, which generates a currentto rotate a rotor of the motor. The rotor rotates to move the one ormore connection links to seal or unseal the flaps 1404A and 1404Bsimultaneously.

In one embodiment, the flaps 1404A and 1404B and the hinge 1412 aresometimes referred to herein as a plate, and the flaps 1404A and 1404Bare portions of the plate.

FIG. 15A is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 1500 forillustrating use of the valve controller for adjusting flow conductanceassociated with the plasma processing chamber 110 (FIG. 1). The method1500 is executed by the valve controller. Examples of a controller, asused herein, include a processor and a memory device. As used herein, aprocessor is an application specific integrated circuit, a programmablelogic device, a microprocessor, or a central processing unit, etc.Examples of a memory device include a random access memory (RAM), aflash memory, a read-only memory, a disk array, a compact-disc, a harddisk, etc.

The method 1500 includes an operation 1502 of monitoring a conditionassociated with the plasma processing chamber 110. For example, apressure sensor is used to sense a pressure within the plasma processingchamber 110. The pressure sensor is located within the interior region122 (FIG. 1). In an embodiment, a portion of the pressure sensor islocated within the interior region 122 and the remaining portion of thepressure sensor is located outside the interior region 122. As anotherexample, a flow rate of flow of materials, e.g., remnants of plasmaprocessing, gases, plasma, etc., flowing through the vacuum ports 142(FIG. 3) from the interior region 122 (FIG. 1) to the vacuum pumps 150(FIG. 1), is measured by a flow rate sensor, e.g., a flow meter, etc.

The condition that is monitored is provided to the valve controller.Upon receiving the condition, in an operation 1504, the valve controllerinstructs an actuator that is connected to the valve controller toadjust a position of the rigid moveable seal plate 170 (FIG. 3) or thetop plate 1304 (FIG. 13A) to cause an adjustment of flow conductance,e.g., flow rate, etc., from the plasma processing chamber 110 to thevacuum pumps 150 via the openings O1, O2, and O3 of the vacuum ports142. For example, the valve controller sends a signal to the actuator tomove the rigid moveable seal plate 170 having the lobes 144 or the topplate 1304 having the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C in the verticaldirection, e.g., along the z-axis, etc., either up or down to adjust theflow conductance. The lobes 144 that are integrated into the moveableseal plate 170 facilitate achieving simultaneous movement of the lobes144 and the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C that are integrated intothe top plate 1304 facilitate achieving simultaneous movement of theportions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C when controlled by the valve controllervia the actuator. When the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and1302C are moved at the same time, there is a simultaneous change in flowconductance via each of the openings O1, O2, and O3 of the bottom plate147 (FIG. 2). For example, a change in flow conductance from theinterior region 122 (FIG. 1) via the opening O1 to a first vacuum pump150 interfaced with the opening O1 is the same as a change in flowconductance from the interior region 122 via the opening O2 to a secondvacuum pump 150 interfaced with the opening O2 and a change in flowconductance from the interior region 122 via the opening O3 to a thirdvacuum pump 150 interfaced with the opening O3. As another example, thevalve controller sends a signal to the actuator to move the rigidmoveable seal plate 170 or the top plate 1304 in the transversedirection to open, or partially open, or close the openings O1, O2, andO3 associate with the vacuum ports 142. The operation 1502 repeats afterthe operation 1504. In an embodiment, the operation 1502 is performedsimultaneously with the operation 1504.

In one embodiment, the flow conductance is associated with all thevacuum ports 142. For example, a flow rate sensor is placed within theinterior region 122 or outside the interior region 122 to measure a flowrate of flow via the opening O1 associated with one of the vacuum ports142, another flow rate sensor is placed within the interior region 122or outside the interior region 122 to measure a flow rate of flow viathe opening O2 associated with another one of the vacuum ports 142, andyet another flow rate sensor is placed within the interior region 122 oroutside the interior region 122 to measure a flow rate of flow via theopening O3 associated with yet another one of the vacuum ports 142. Thevalve controller receives the flow rates associated with the openingsO1, O2, and O3 associated with the vacuum ports 142 and sums the flowrates to achieve the flow conductance associated with the plasmaprocessing chamber 110 or with the three vacuum ports 142.

In an embodiment, the method of FIG. 15A is applicable to the multi-portvalve assembly 1406 of FIG. 14. For example, after monitoring, in theoperation 1502, the condition associated with the plasma processingchamber illustrated using FIG. 14, the valve controller instructs theactuator, e.g., a driver that is connected to a motor, etc., to actuatethe flaps 1404A and 1404B (FIG. 14) in a vertical direction by rotatingthe flaps about the hinge 1412 (FIG. 14).

FIG. 15B is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 1520 for operatinga multi-port valve assembly, e.g., the multi-port valve assembly 160(FIG. 2), the multi-port valve assembly 1300 (FIG. 13A), etc., accordingto a recipe. The recipe includes one or more parameters, e.g., pressure,temperature, gap between upper and lower electrodes, flow rate of one ormore process gases that flow into the plasma processing chamber 110, oneor more frequencies of one or more RF signals that are supplied to theplasma processing chamber 110, one or more power level of the one ormore RF signals, etc., for processing the substrate 112. Examples ofvarious processes being performed on the substrate 112 includedepositing materials on the substrate 112, etching the substrate 112 ora layer deposited on the substrate 112, cleaning the substrate 112, etc.In one embodiment, the valve controller receives the recipe from a hostcontroller coupled to the valve controller. For example, the valvecontroller receives an operating pressure or an operating flowconductance to be maintained within the interior region 122 (FIG. 1)from the host controller.

The method 1520 includes an operation 1522 of operating the multi-portvalve assembly according to the recipe. For example, the valvecontroller controls the actuator to further control movement of therigid moveable seal plate 170 (FIG. 3) or the top plate (FIG. 13A) sothat the operating pressure and/or the operating flow conductance ismaintained. As another example, the valve controller stores a look-uptable that has a correspondence between amounts by which openings of thevacuum ports 142 are open and the operating pressure and/or theoperating flow conductance. The valve controller identifies from thelook-up table the amounts by which openings of the vacuum ports 142 areopen based on the operating pressure and/or the operating flowconductance. The valve controller sends a signal to the actuator toachieve the amounts by which openings of the vacuum ports 142 are open.

The method 1502 further includes an operation 1524 of instructing theactuator to adjust a position of the rigid moveable seal plate 170 orthe top plate (FIG. 13A) to cause an adjustment of flow conductance fromthe interior region 122 to the vacuum pumps 150 via openings of thevacuum ports 142. For example, the valve controller identifies from thelook-up table that the amounts by which the vacuum ports 142 are openare to be modified according to a change in the operating pressureand/or the operating flow conductance. To achieve the modified amounts,the vacuum controller sends a signal to the actuator to open, or close,or further partially open, and/or further partially close the openingsof the vacuum ports 142.

In an embodiment, the method 1520 of FIG. 15B is applicable to themulti-port valve assembly 1406 of FIG. 14. For example, after performingthe operation 1522 of operating the multi-port valve assembly 1406according to the recipe, the valve controller instructs the actuator,e.g., a driver that is connected to a motor, etc., to rotate the flaps1404A and 1404B (FIG. 14) about the hinge 1412 (FIG. 14) to furtheradjust a flow conductance. The flow conductance is a conductance of flowof materials from the plasma chamber illustrated in FIG. 14 via theopenings in the metal plate 1408 (FIG. 14) to the vacuum pumps 150 (FIG.14).

FIG. 16A is a block diagram of an embodiment of a plasma processingsystem 1600 to illustrate use of a valve controller 1602 and an actuatorsub-system 1606 to control operation of a multi-port valve assembly1610, e.g., the multi-port valve assembly 160 (FIG. 1), the multi-portvalve assembly 1300 (FIG. 13A), etc. The system 1600 includes the plasmaprocessing chamber 110, the vacuum pumps 150, the actuator sub-system1606, the valve controller 1602, and a process module 1608. Examples ofthe actuator sub-system 1606 include the actuator 1622A (FIG. 16B) andactuator 1622B (FIG. 16B). The process module 1608 is an example of thehost controller. In an embodiment, the process module 1608 is a portionof a computer software program that is executed by the processor of thehost controller. The host controller executes the recipe by controllingvarious components of a plasma processing system. Examples of thevarious components include a motor and one or more connection linkscoupled to the motor to change gap between upper and lower electrodes ofthe plasma processing chamber 110 to control processing of the substrate112, a valve that controls an amount of gas flow to the plasmaprocessing chamber 110 to control processing of the substrate 112, aheater that is provided a current signal to heat an electrode within theplasma processing chamber 110 to control temperature of processing ofthe substrate 112, and the vacuum pumps 150 that are operated to achievean amount of flow of materials from the interior region 122 to outsidethe interior region 112 to control pressure within the plasma processingchamber 110 during processing of the substrate 112, etc.

The valve controller 1602 receives the recipe from the process module1608 and controls the actuator sub-system 1606 to further adjustpositions of the lobes 144 (FIG. 3) of the rigid moveable seal plate 170(FIG. 3) or of the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C (FIG. 13A) of thetop plate 1304. The pressure sensor 1604 monitors pressure within theinterior region 122 of the plasma processing chamber 110 and providesthe monitored pressure to the valve controller 1602. The valvecontroller 1602 compares the monitored pressure with the operatingpressure specified within the recipe to determine whether the monitoringpressure is within a pre-determined threshold of the operating pressure.Upon determining that the monitored pressure is within thepre-determined threshold of the operating pressure, the valve controller1602 does not send a signal to the actuator sub-system 1606 to change aposition of the lobes 144 (FIG. 3) of the rigid moveable seal plate 170(FIG. 3) or of the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C (FIG. 13A) of thetop plate 1304 with respect to the openings of the valve ports 142(FIGS. 3 and 13A).

On the other hand, upon determining that the monitored pressure isoutside the pre-determined threshold of the operating pressure, thevalve controller 1602 sends a signal to the actuator sub-system 1606.Upon receiving the signal, the actuator sub-system 1606 moves the lobes144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C to open, close, or partiallyopen the openings of the valve ports 142 to achieve the pressure withinthe operating recipe.

FIG. 16B includes block diagrams of a system 1620 and a system 1622 toillustrate functionality of the valve controller 1602 and actuators tocontrol magnetic fields to further change positions of the lobes 144(FIG. 3) of the rigid moveable seal plate 170 (FIG. 3) or of theportions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C (FIG. 13A) of the top plate 1304 withrespect to the openings O1, O2, and O3 of the valve ports 142 (FIGS. 3and 13A). The system 1620 includes the valve controller 1602 and anactuator 1622A, which includes a current generator 1626A and the coilwithin the edge portion 1312 (FIG. 13A). Examples of a current generatorinclude one or more transistors. The system 1620 further includes theone or more magnets 1334.

The valve controller 1602 sends a command signal to the currentgenerator 1626A for generating a current signal. The current signal isgenerated by the current generator 1626A upon receiving the commandsignal from the valve controller 1602. The current is provided from thecurrent generator 1626A to the coil within the edge portion 1312. Thecoil within the edge portion 1312 generates a transverse magnetic field1 in the transverse direction upon receiving the current signal from thecurrent generator 1626A. Moreover, the one or more magnets 1334 arefixed, e.g., permanent, etc., magnets that generate one or moretransverse magnetic fields 2. In one embodiment, the transverse magneticfields 2 have a direction opposite to a direction of the transversemagnetic field 1. The transverse magnetic field 1 interferes with theone or more transverse magnetic fields 2 to open, close, or partiallyopen the lobes 144 (FIG. 3) of the moveable seal plate 170 or theportions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C (FIG. 13A) of the top plate 1304 withrespect to the openings O1, O2, and O3 associated with the valve ports142 (FIG. 3).

The system 1622 further includes the valve controller 1602 and anactuator 1622B, which includes a current generator 1626B and the coilwithin the edge portion 1310 (FIG. 13A). The system 1622 furtherincludes the one or more magnets 1332.

The valve controller 1602 sends a command signal to the currentgenerator 1626B for generating a current signal. The current signal isgenerated by the current generator 1626B upon receiving the commandsignal from the valve controller 1602. The current is provided from thecurrent generator 1626B to the coil within the edge portion 1310. Thecoil within the edge portion 1310 generates a vertical magnetic field 1in the vertical direction upon receiving the current signal from thecurrent generator 1626B. Moreover, the one or more magnets 1332 arefixed magnets that generate one or more vertical magnetic fields 2. Inone embodiment, the vertical magnetic fields 2 have a direction oppositeto a direction of the vertical magnetic field 1. The vertical magneticfield 1 interferes with the one or more vertical magnetic fields 2 toseal or unseal the lobes 144 (FIG. 3) of the moveable seal plate 170 orthe portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C (FIG. 13A) of the top plate 1304with respect to the openings of the valve ports 142 (FIG. 3).

In one embodiment, the valve controller 1602 controls the actuator 1622Aand the actuator 1622B to achieve periodic interspersed rotational andvertical movement of the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and1302C. For example, the valve controller 1602 sends a signal to theactuator 1622A to modify the transverse field 1 for a first period oftime to rotate the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C forthe first period of time. Then, the valve controller 1602 sends a signalto the actuator 1622B to modify the vertical field 1 for a second periodof time to vertically move the lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B,and 1302C for the second period of time. Thereafter, the valvecontroller 1602 sends a signal to the actuator 1622A to modify thetransverse field 1 for a third period of time to rotate the lobes 144 orthe portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C for the third period of time. Thefirst period of time is equal to the second period of time, which isequal to the third period of time. In an embodiment, the first period oftime is unequal to, e.g., greater than, less than, etc., at least one ofthe second period of time and the third period of time.

FIG. 17A is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 1700 forcontrolling the positions of the lobes 144 (FIG. 3) of the rigidmoveable seal plate 170 (FIG. 3) or of the portions 1302A, 1302B, and1302C (FIG. 13A) of the top plate 1304. The method 1700 includes anoperation 1702 of sensing a parameter, e.g., the condition, etc.,associated with the interior region 122 (FIG. 1) of the plasmaprocessing chamber 110. For example, the pressure within the interiorregion 122 is measured by the pressure sensor or the flow ratesassociated with the openings O1, O2, and O3 associated with the valveports 142 (FIG. 3) are measured by one or more flow meters, which may beplaced within the interior region 122 or outside the plasma processingchamber 110.

The sensed parameter is provided from a sensor, e.g., the pressuresensor 1604 (FIG. 16A), one or more flow meters, etc., to the valvecontroller 1602 (FIG. 16A). The valve controller 1602 determines, in anoperation 1704, from the sensed parameter whether a level, e.g., anamount, etc., of the sensed parameter is to be changed. For example, thevalve controller 1602 compares the sensed parameter to a parameterwithin the recipe and determines based on the comparison that the sensedparameter is not within a pre-determined threshold from the parameter.Upon determining that the sensed parameter is not within thepre-determined threshold from the parameter, the valve controller 1602determines that the sensed parameter is to be changed. On the otherhand, upon determining that the sensed parameter is within thepre-determined threshold from the parameter, the valve controller 1602determines that the sensed parameter is not to be changed.

Upon determining that the level of the sensed parameter is to bechanged, the valve controller 1602 identifies a position of the lobes144 (FIG. 3) of the moveable seal plate 170 or the portions 1302A,1302B, and 1302C (FIG. 13A) of the top plate 1304 with respect to theopenings O1, O2, and O3 associated with the valve ports 142 (FIG. 3).For example, the look-up table stored within the memory device of thevalve controller 1602 is read to determine a position of the lobes 144or of the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C with respect to the openingsO1, O2, and O3 of the bottom plate 147 (FIG. 3). Moreover, the look-uptable is read to determine amounts of currents to be generated by thecurrent generators 1626A and 1626B (FIG. 16B) to achieve the position ofthe lobes 144 or of the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C.

In an operation 1706 of the method 1700, the valve controller 1602controls the lobes 144 of the moveable seal plate 170 or the portions1302A, 1302B, and 1302C of the top plate 1304 to achieve the parameterto reduce or eliminate the difference between the sensed parameter andthe parameter of the recipe so that the parameter of the recipe and thesensed parameter are within the pre-determined threshold. For example,the valve controller 1602 sends a command signal to the actuatorsub-system 1606 (FIG. 16A). The command signal includes levels, e.g.,amounts, etc., of currents to be generated by the coils within the edgeportions 1310 and 1312 (FIG. 13A). Upon receiving the command signal,the actuator sub-system 1606 generates the levels of current signals to,e.g., seal, unseal, open, partially open, or close, etc., the lobes 144or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C with respect to the openings O1,O2, and O3. The levels of current signals generated facilitate achievingthe positions, e.g., the angles θ1, θ2, θ3, a z-position zd, etc. of thelobes 144 of the moveable seal plate 170 or the portions 1302A, 1302B,and 1302C of the top plate 1304 with respect to the openings O1, O2, andO3 so that the parameter of the recipe and the sensed parameter arewithin the pre-determined threshold. The z-position zd is of each of thelobes 144 with respect to the bottom plate 147 or of each of theportions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C with respect to the bottom plate 147.The method 1700 repeats after the operation 1706.

It should be noted that sometimes, the moveable seal plate 170 or thetop plate 1304 is referred to herein as a valve.

In an embodiment, the method 1700 of FIG. 17A is applicable to themulti-port valve assembly 1406 of FIG. 14. For example, after sensing,in the operation 1702, a parameter, e.g., pressure, etc., associatedwithin an interior region of the plasma processing chamber illustratedin FIG. 14 and determining whether a level of the parameter is to bechanged, the valve controller instructs the actuator, e.g., a driverthat is connected to a motor, etc., to rotate the flaps 1404A and 1404B(FIG. 14) about the hinge 1412 (FIG. 14) to control the parameter. Forexample, the valve controller identifies an amount of currentcorresponding to, e.g., having a mapping relationship with, have aone-on-one correspondence to, etc., the parameter, and provides theamount of current to the driver for generation of the amount of currentby the driver. The amount of current also corresponds to an amount ofrotation of the flaps 1404A and 1404B with respect to the correspondingopenings.

FIG. 17B is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 1720 forillustrating that the moveable seal plate 170 is moved in the transversedirection to achieve a high level of change in flow conductance and ismoved in the vertical direction to achieve a low level of change in flowconductance. During the method 1720, the vacuum pumps 150 (FIG. 1) areoperated at full power, e.g., maximum power at which the vacuum pumpscan operate, maximum specified operating power of the vacuum pumps, peakpower, etc. The vacuum pumps 150 are operated at full power in anoperation 1732 of the method 1720.

Moreover, in an operation 1722 of the method 1720, the valve controller1602 (FIG. 16A) determines whether a low level of change in flowconductance from the interior region 122 (FIG. 1) to the vacuum pumps150 is to be achieved. For example, the low level of change is to beachieved based on the recipe, e.g., to achieve a pressure specified inthe recipe, to achieve a flow conductance specified in the recipe, etc.,and an amount of time for accomplishing the low level of change. Asanother example, if a pressure to be achieved within the interior region122 is within a pre-determined range from a sensed pressure or apressure at which the plasma processing chamber 110 (FIG. 1) iscurrently operating and the pressure to be achieved can be achievedwithin a time period less than a pre-determined time period, the lowlevel of change in flow conductance is to be applied to achieve thepressure.

Upon determining that the low level of flow conductance change is to beachieved, the valve controller 1602 controls, in an operation 1724, thelobes 144 of the moveable seal plate 170 or the portions 1302A, 1302B,and 1302C of the top plate 1304 to move in the vertical direction. Forexample, the valve controller 1602 identifies from the memory device ofthe valve controller 1602 an amount of current to send to the coilwithin the edge portion 1310 (FIG. 16B). The amount of current is sentfrom the valve controller 1602 to the current generator 1626B (FIG.16B). The current generator 1626B generates a current signal having theamount of current and sends the current signal to the coil within theedge portion 1310. The coil within the edge portion 1310 modifies amagnetic field in the z-direction that interferes with the one or morevertical magnetic fields generated by the one or more magnets 1332 (FIG.16B) to change, e.g., move upward, move downward, etc., the zd positionof the lobes 144 of the moveable seal plate 170 or the portions 1302A,1302B, and 1302C of the top plate 1304 with respect to the bottom plate147 (FIGS. 2 and 13A).

On the other hand, upon determining that the low level of conductancechange is not to be achieved, in an operation 1726 of the method 1720,the valve controller 1602 determines whether a high level of change inflow conductance from the interior region 122 (FIG. 1) to the vacuumpumps 150 is to be achieved. For example, the high level of change is tobe achieved based on the recipe, e.g., to achieve a pressure specifiedin the recipe, to achieve a flow conductance specified in the recipe,etc., and an amount of time for accomplishing the high level of change.As another example, if a pressure to be achieved within the interiorregion 122 is outside a pre-determined range from a sensed pressure or apressure at which the plasma processing chamber 110 (FIG. 1) iscurrently operating and the pressure to be achieved cannot be achievedwithin a time period less than a pre-determined time period, the highlevel of change in flow conductance is to be applied to achieve thepressure.

Upon determining that the high level of flow conductance change is to beachieved, the valve controller 1602 controls, in an operation 1728, thelobes 144 of the moveable seal plate 170 or the portions 1302A, 1302B,and 1302C of the top plate 1304 to move in the transverse direction. Forexample, the valve controller 1602 identifies from the memory device ofthe valve controller 1602 an amount of current to send to the coilwithin the edge portion 1312 (FIG. 16B). The amount of current is sentfrom the valve controller 1602 to the current generator 1626A (FIG.16B). The current generator 1626A generates a current signal having theamount of current and sends the current signal to the coil within theedge portion 1312. The coil within the edge portion 1312 modifies amagnetic field in the transverse direction that interferes with the oneor more magnetic fields generated in the transverse direction by the oneor more magnets 1334 (FIG. 16B) to change, e.g., rotate, etc., aposition, e.g., the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3, etc., of the lobes 144 of themoveable seal plate 170 simultaneously or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and1302C of the top plate 1304 simultaneously with respect to the bottomplate 147 (FIGS. 2 and 13A). It should be noted that the vacuum pumps150 are operated at full power during all the operations 1732, 1722.1724, 1726, and 1728 of the method 1720.

FIG. 18A is a flowchart of an embodiment of a method 1800 forcontrolling the multi-port valve assembly 160 (FIG. 2) or 1300 (FIG.13A) according to a change in the sensed parameter. The method 1800 isdescribed with reference to a plasma processing system 1850 of FIG. 18B.The method 1800 is performed upon achieving a pressure within the plasmaprocessing chamber 110, which is illustrated in FIG. 18B. The pressureis achieved by operating a roughing pump, which is also illustrated inFIG. 18B. For example, the roughing pump is operated to reduce pressurewithin the plasma processing chamber 110 until a pre-determined amountof reduced pressure is achieved. The vacuum pumps 150, illustrated inFIG. 18B, are operated after the reduced pressure is reached within theplasma processing chamber 110.

The method 1800 includes an operation 1802 of sensing the parameter,e.g., pressure, etc., within the plasma processing chamber 110 (FIG. 1).The sensing is done by a pressure sensor.

The sensed parameter is sent from the pressure sensor to the valvecontroller 1602, illustrated below in FIG. 18B. The valve controller1602 determines, in an operation 1804, whether a level of the sensedparameter is within a pre-determined normal operating range. Forexample, the valve controller 1602 compares the level of the sensedparameter with a pre-stored parameter listed within the recipe todetermine whether the level of the sensed parameter is within apre-determined threshold from the pre-stored parameter. Upon determiningthat the level of the sensed parameter is within the pre-determinedthreshold of from the pre-stored parameter, the valve controller 1602determines that the level of the sensed parameter is within thepre-determined normal operating range. For example, upon determiningthat the level of the sensed parameter is below the pre-determinedthreshold of the pre-stored parameter, the valve controller 1602determines that the level of the sensed parameter is within thepre-determined normal operating range. On the other hand, upondetermining that the level of the sensed parameter is not within thepre-determined threshold of the pre-stored parameter, the valvecontroller 1602 determines that the level of the sensed parameter is notwithin the pre-determined normal operating range. For example, upondetermining that the level of the sensed parameter is above thepre-determined threshold of the pre-stored parameter, the valvecontroller 1602 determines that the level of the sensed parameter is notwithin the pre-determined normal operating range.

Moreover, upon determining that the level of the sensed parameter iswithin the pre-determined normal operating range, the valve controller1602, in an operation 1808, controls the moveable seal plate 170 (FIG.2) or the top plate 1304 (FIG. 13A) to move vertically or in thetransverse direction. For example, the valve controller 1602 controlsthe actuator 1606, illustrated in FIG. 18B, in accordance with therecipe so that the moveable seal plate 170 or the top plate 1304 moveswith respect to the openings O1 thru O3 (FIGS. 2 and 13A) to change theangles θ1, θ2, and θ3 or to change the distance zd in the verticaldirection or a combination thereof.

On the other hand, upon determining that the level of the sensedparameter is not within the pre-determined normal operating range, in anoperation 1806, the valve controller 1602 controls the actuator 1606 tomove the moveable seal plate 170 (FIG. 2) so that the lobes 144 (FIG. 3)seal or close the openings O1, O2, and O3 of the bottom plate 147 (FIG.2) within a pre-determined amount of time, e.g., less than two seconds,etc. In an embodiment, in the operation 1806, the valve controller 1602controls the actuator 1606 to move the top plate 1304 so that theportions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C are in a sealed position or in a closedposition in which the openings O1, O2, and O3 are covered. The operation1806 facilitates prevention of damage to the vacuum pumps 150. Thechange in the sensed parameter beyond the pre-determined normaloperating range may be a result of a broken wafer within the plasmaprocessing chamber 110 or a damaged part, e.g., electrode, confinementrings, electrode extension, edge ring, etc., within the plasmaprocessing chamber 110. If the openings O1, O2, and O3 were to stay openfor a longer period of time, there could be damage to the vacuum pumps150, e.g., blades of the vacuum pumps 150, etc. The damage is preventedby closing the openings O1, O2, and O3 immediately upon determining thatthe sensed parameter is outside the pre-determined normal operatingrange.

Moreover, the use of the single valve controller 1602 facilitates quickclosure of the openings O1, O2, and O3. It takes more time for twovalves to be closed compared to closure of the openings O1 thru O3 bythe lobes 144 or the portions 1302A, 1302B, and 1302C. Moreover, ifthere is a lack of communication or malfunction during communicationbetween multiple controllers that control multiple valves, the valvesmay not close or may not close on time. In case of the valve controller1602, there is no master controller and no slave controller, and sochances of the lack of communication or the malfunction diminish tozero.

In an embodiment, the method 1800 of FIG. 18A is applicable to themulti-port valve assembly 1406 of FIG. 14. For example, after sensing,in the operation 1802, a parameter associated within an interior regionof the plasma processing chamber illustrated in FIG. 14 and determiningwhether a level of the parameter is not within the pre-determined normaloperating range, the valve controller instructs the actuator, e.g., adriver that is connected to a motor, etc., to rotate the flaps 1404A and1404B (FIG. 14) about the hinge 1412 (FIG. 14) to seal the openings inthe metal plate 1406 (FIG. 14). On the other hand, upon determining thatthe level of the parameter is within the pre-determined normal operatingrange, the valve controller instructs the actuator to rotate the flaps1404A and 1404B about the hinge 1412 in accordance with the recipe.

FIG. 18B is a block diagram of an embodiment of the plasma processingsystem 1850 to illustrate the method 1800 of FIG. 18A. The plasmaprocessing system 1850 includes the roughing pump in addition to othercomponents illustrated in FIG. 16A.

FIG. 19 shows graphs 1902, 1904, and 1906 to illustrate a change in flowconductance from the interior region 122 (FIG. 1) to the vacuum pumps150 (FIG. 1) with movement of the moveable seal plate 170 (FIG. 2) orthe top plate 1304 (FIG. 13A). The graph 1902 illustrates that a changein flow conductance is linear when the moveable seal plate 170 or thetop plate 1304 is moved the distance zd from a sealed position to anunsealed position in the vertical direction with respect to the bottomplate 147 (FIG. 2). The graph 1904 illustrates that a change in flowconductance is nonlinear when the moveable seal plate 170 or the topplate 1304 is moved to rotate to change the angles θ1, θ2, and θ3 from aclosed position to one or more progressively increasing partially openpositions and further to an open position with respect to the bottomplate 147. The graph 1306 illustrates that a change in flow conductanceis a combination of linear and nonlinear when the moveable seal plate170 or the top plate 1304 is moved vertically and rotatedsimultaneously, with the rotation and the movement in the verticaldirection interspersed and repeating periodically. For example, thegraph 1306 represents a change in flow conductance when the moveableseal plate 170 is moved vertically for a period of time from the sealedand closed position, then is rotated for the period of time, then ismoved vertically for the period of time, and so on until the moveableseal plate 170 is in the open position and in the unsealed position.

While various embodiments of mechanical systems operable to actuateand/or constrain the motion of the movable seal plate 170 or the topplate 1304 in the transverse direction, sealing direction, or both, itshould be understood that these are illustrative and other mechanicalembodiments may be used to transition the movable seal plate 170 or thetop plate 1304 between the closed, partially open, and open states.

It is noted that the terms “substantially” and “about” may be utilizedherein to represent the inherent degree of uncertainty that may beattributed to any quantitative comparison, value, measurement, or otherrepresentation. These terms are also utilized herein to represent thedegree by which a quantitative representation may vary from a statedreference without resulting in a change in the basic function of thesubject matter at issue.

Embodiments described herein may be practiced with various computersystem configurations including hand-held hardware units, microprocessorsystems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics,minicomputers, mainframe computers and the like. The embodiments canalso be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks areperformed by remote processing hardware units that are linked through anetwork.

In some embodiments, a controller is part of a system, which may be partof the above-described examples. Such systems include semiconductorprocessing equipment, including a processing tool or tools, chamber orchambers, a platform or platforms for processing, and/or specificprocessing components (a wafer pedestal, a gas flow system, etc.). Thesesystems are integrated with electronics for controlling their operationbefore, during, and after processing of a semiconductor wafer orsubstrate. The electronics is referred to as the “controller,” which maycontrol various components or subparts of the system or systems. Thecontroller, depending on the processing requirements and/or the type ofsystem, is programmed to control any of the processes disclosed herein,including the delivery of process gases, temperature settings (e.g.,heating and/or cooling), pressure settings, vacuum settings, powersettings, RF generator settings, RF matching circuit settings, frequencysettings, flow rate settings, fluid delivery settings, positional andoperation settings, wafer transfers into and out of a tool and othertransfer tools and/or load locks connected to or interfaced with asystem.

Broadly speaking, in a variety of embodiments, the controller is definedas electronics having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and/orsoftware that receive instructions, issue instructions, controloperation, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, andthe like. The integrated circuits include chips in the form of firmwarethat store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chipsdefined as ASICs, PLDs, and/or one or more microprocessors, ormicrocontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Theprogram instructions are instructions communicated to the controller inthe form of various individual settings (or program files), definingoperational parameters for carrying out a particular process on or for asemiconductor wafer or to a system. The operational parameters are, insome embodiments, a part of a recipe defined by process engineers toaccomplish one or more processing steps during the fabrication of one ormore layers, materials, metals, oxides, silicon, silicon dioxide,surfaces, circuits, and/or dies of a wafer.

The controller, in some embodiments, is a part of or coupled to acomputer that is integrated with, coupled to the system, otherwisenetworked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, thecontroller is in a “cloud” or all or a part of a fab host computersystem, which allows for remote access of the wafer processing. Thecomputer enables remote access to the system to monitor current progressof fabrication operations, examines a history of past fabricationoperations, examines trends or performance metrics from a plurality offabrication operations, to change parameters of current processing, toset processing steps to follow a current processing, or to start a newprocess.

In some embodiments, a remote computer (e.g. a server) provides processrecipes to a system over a network, which includes a local network orthe Internet. The remote computer includes a user interface that enablesentry or programming of parameters and/or settings, which are thencommunicated to the system from the remote computer. In some examples,the controller receives instructions in the form of data, which specifyparameters for each of the processing steps to be performed during oneor more operations. It should be understood that the parameters arespecific to the type of process to be performed and the type of toolthat the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus asdescribed above, the controller is distributed, such as by including oneor more discrete controllers that are networked together and workingtowards a common purpose, such as the processes and controls describedherein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposesincludes one or more integrated circuits on a chamber in communicationwith one or more integrated circuits located remotely (such as at theplatform level or as part of a remote computer) that combine to controla process on the chamber.

Without limitation, in various embodiments, example systems include aplasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, aspin-rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a cleanchamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapordeposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD)chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module,an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantationchamber or module, a track chamber or module, a capacitively coupledplasma chamber, a transformer coupled plasma chamber, and any othersemiconductor processing systems that is associated or used in thefabrication and/or manufacturing of semiconductor wafers.

It is further noted that the above-described operations are used with aparallel plate plasma chamber, e.g., a capacitively coupled plasmachamber, etc., in some embodiments. In some embodiments, theabove-described operations apply to other types of plasma chambers,e.g., a plasma chamber including an inductively coupled plasma (ICP)reactor, a transformer coupled plasma (TCP) reactor, conductor tools,dielectric tools, a plasma chamber including an electron cyclotronresonance (ECR) reactor, etc.

As noted above, depending on the process step or steps to be performedby the tool, the controller communicates with one or more of other toolcircuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other toolinterfaces, adjacent tools, neighboring tools, tools located throughouta factory, a main computer, another controller, or tools used inmaterial transport that bring containers of wafers to and from toollocations and/or load ports in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

With the above embodiments in mind, it should be understood that some ofthe embodiments employ various computer-implemented operations involvingdata stored in computer systems. These operations are those physicallymanipulating physical quantities. Any of the operations described hereinthat form part of the embodiments are useful machine operations.

Some of the embodiments also relate to a hardware unit or an apparatusfor performing these operations. The apparatus is specially constructedfor a special purpose computer. When defined as a special purposecomputer, the computer performs other processing, program execution orroutines that are not part of the special purpose, while still beingcapable of operating for the special purpose.

In some embodiments, the operations may be processed by a computerselectively activated or configured by one or more computer programsstored in a computer memory, cache, or obtained over the computernetwork. When data is obtained over the computer network, the data maybe processed by other computers on the computer network, e.g., a cloudof computing resources.

One or more embodiments can also be fabricated as computer-readable codeon a non-transitory computer-readable medium. The non-transitorycomputer-readable medium is any data storage hardware unit, e.g., amemory device, etc., that stores data, which is thereafter be read by acomputer system. Examples of the non-transitory computer-readable mediuminclude hard drives, network attached storage (NAS), ROM, RAM, compactdisc-ROMs (CD-ROMs), CD-recordables (CD-Rs), CD-rewritables (CD-RWs),magnetic tapes and other optical and non-optical data storage hardwareunits. In some embodiments, the non-transitory computer-readable mediumincludes a computer-readable tangible medium distributed over anetwork-coupled computer system so that the computer-readable code isstored and executed in a distributed fashion.

Although the method operations above were described in a specific order,it should be understood that in various embodiments, other housekeepingoperations are performed in between operations, or the method operationsare adjusted so that they occur at slightly different times, or aredistributed in a system which allows the occurrence of the methodoperations at various intervals, or are performed in a different orderthan that described above.

It should further be noted that in an embodiment, one or more featuresfrom any embodiment described above are combined with one or morefeatures of any other embodiment without departing from a scopedescribed in various embodiments described in the present disclosure.

Various modifications and variations can be made to the embodimentsdescribed herein without departing from the scope of the claimed subjectmatter. Thus it is intended that the specification cover themodifications and variations of the various embodiments described hereinprovided such modification and variations come within the scope of theappended claims and their equivalents.

1. A multi-valve port assembly for a plasma chamber, comprising: a top plate surrounding a feed through port, a plurality of openings, and a plurality of plate portions, wherein the feed through port is configured to allow passage of a center column for supporting a wafer stage of the plasma chamber, wherein the plurality of plate portions and the plurality of openings of the top plate are interleaved with respect to each other, wherein the plurality of plate portions and the plurality of openings of the top plate surround the feed through port; and a bottom plate located below the top plate and having a plurality of openings that surround the feed through port, wherein the top plate is configured to rotate in a transverse direction with respect to the bottom plate and to move in a vertical direction with respect to the bottom plate, wherein the rotation of the top plate in the transverse direction changes an amount of overlap between one of the plurality of plate portions and one of the plurality of openings of the top plate and an amount of overlap between another one of the plurality of plate portions and another one of the plurality of openings of the top plate, wherein the change in the amounts of overlap and the movement in the vertical direction modifies an amount of conductance from the plasma chamber via the plurality of openings of the top plate and the plurality of openings of the bottom plate to outside the plasma chamber.
 2. The multi-port valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of plate portions are moved in a stepwise fashion in the vertical direction so that the top plate moves in the vertical direction to achieve a plurality of degrees of an unsealed state with respect to the bottom plate, wherein each of the plurality of degrees of the unsealed state corresponds to a different vertical distance between the top plate and the bottom plate.
 3. The multi-port valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the plurality of plate portions include a first plate portion and a second plate portion, wherein the plurality of openings of the top plate include a first opening and a second opening, wherein the first opening is located besides the first plate portion, the second plate portion is located besides the first opening, and the second opening is located besides the second plate portion.
 4. The multi-port valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the bottom plate has a top edge portion, wherein the top edge portion includes a coil, wherein the coil of the top edge portion is configured to receive a current to generate a first magnetic field, wherein the top plate includes a first magnet configured to generate a second magnetic field, wherein the first and second magnetic fields interfere with each other to rotate the top plate in the transverse direction with respect to the bottom plate.
 5. The multi-port valve assembly of claim 4, wherein the bottom plate has a bottom edge portion, wherein the bottom edge portion includes a coil, wherein the coil of the bottom edge portion is configured to receive a current to generate a third magnetic field, wherein the top plate includes a second magnet configured to generate a fourth magnetic field, wherein the third and fourth magnetic fields interfere with each other to move the top plate in the vertical direction with respect to the bottom plate.
 6. The multi-port valve assembly of claim 5, wherein the top plate includes a metallic shield located above the second magnet and besides the first magnet to shield a substrate within the plasma chamber from the second and fourth magnetic fields.
 7. The multi-port valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the center column includes a plasma electrode assembly and a plasma producing gas inlet.
 8. The multi-port valve assembly of claim 1, wherein the bottom plate is a part of a bottom wall of the plasma chamber, wherein the plurality of openings of the bottom plate lie in a plane that is adjacent to a plurality of vacuum pumps, wherein each of the plurality of openings of the bottom plate interfaces with a corresponding one of the plurality of vacuum pumps.
 9. A plasma chamber comprising: a top wall; a plurality of side walls coupled to the top wall; a bottom wall coupled to the plurality of side walls, wherein the bottom wall has a feed through port; a wafer stage that is located between the plurality of side walls, above the bottom wall, and below the top wall; a portion of a center column passing through the feed through port to be coupled to the wafer stage, wherein the feed through port is configured to allow passage of the center column for supporting the wafer stage; and a multi-valve port assembly that is coupled to the bottom wall to form a part of the bottom wall, the multi-valve port assembly including: a top plate, a plurality of openings, and a plurality of plate portions, wherein the plurality of openings of the top plate and the plurality of plate portions surround a portion of the center column, wherein the plurality of plate portions and the plurality of openings of the top plate are interleaved with respect to each other, wherein the plurality of plate portions and the plurality of openings of the top plate surround the feed through port; and a bottom plate located below the top plate and having a plurality of openings that surround the feed through port, wherein the top plate is configured to rotate in a transverse direction with respect to the bottom plate and to move in a vertical direction with respect to the bottom plate, wherein the rotation of the top plate in the transverse direction changes an amount of overlap between one of the plurality of plate portions and one of the plurality of openings of the top plate and an amount of overlap between another one of the plurality of plate portions and another one of the plurality of openings of the top plate, wherein the change in the amounts of overlap and the movement in the vertical direction modifies an amount of conductance from the plasma chamber via the plurality of openings of the top plate and the plurality of openings of the bottom plate to outside the plasma chamber.
 10. The plasma chamber of claim 9, wherein the plurality of plate portions are moved in a stepwise fashion in the vertical direction so that the top plate moves in the vertical direction to achieve a plurality of degrees of an unsealed state with respect to the bottom plate, wherein each of the plurality of degrees of the unsealed state corresponds to a different vertical distance between the top plate and the bottom plate.
 11. The plasma chamber of claim 9, wherein the plurality of plate portions include a first plate portion and a second plate portion, wherein the plurality of openings of the top plate include a first opening and a second opening, wherein the first opening is located besides the first plate portion, the second plate portion is located besides the first opening, and the second opening is located besides the second plate portion.
 12. The plasma chamber of claim 9, wherein the bottom plate has a top edge portion, wherein the top edge portion includes a coil, wherein the coil of the top edge portion is configured to receive a current to generate a first magnetic field, wherein the top plate includes a first magnet configured to generate a second magnetic field, wherein the first and second magnetic fields interfere with each other to rotate the top plate in the transverse direction with respect to the bottom plate.
 13. The plasma chamber of claim 12, wherein the bottom plate has a bottom edge portion, wherein the bottom edge portion includes a coil, wherein the coil of the bottom edge portion is configured to receive a current to generate a third magnetic field, wherein the top plate includes a second magnet configured to generate a fourth magnetic field, wherein the third and fourth magnetic fields interfere with each other to move the top plate in the vertical direction with respect to the bottom plate.
 14. The plasma chamber of claim 13, wherein the top plate includes a metallic shield located above the second magnet and besides the first magnet to shield a substrate within the plasma chamber from the second and fourth magnetic fields.
 15. The plasma chamber of claim 9, wherein the center column includes a plasma electrode assembly and a plasma producing gas inlet.
 16. The plasma chamber of claim 9, wherein the bottom plate is a part of the bottom wall of the plasma chamber, wherein the plurality of openings of the bottom plate lie in a plane that is adjacent to a plurality of vacuum pumps, wherein each of the plurality of openings of the bottom plate interfaces with a corresponding one of the plurality of vacuum pumps.
 17. A multi-port valve assembly for a plasma processing chamber, comprising: a bottom plate having a plurality of openings, wherein each of the plurality of openings of the bottom plate is configured to be in contact with a corresponding one of a plurality of vacuum pumps located outside the plasma processing chamber; and a top plate with a plurality of plate portions that are rotatably movable for placement in one of an overlapping state, a plurality of degrees of partially overlapping states, and a non-overlapping state with respect to the plurality of openings of the bottom plate to change an amount of conductance of materials from within the plasma processing chamber to outside the plasma processing chamber, wherein the top plate is configured to vertically move with respect to the bottom plate to define one of a sealed state and an unsealed state with respect to the plurality of openings of the bottom plate to change the amount of conductance of materials from within the plasma processing chamber to outside the plasma processing chamber.
 18. The multi-port valve assembly of claim 17, wherein the top plate has a plurality of openings, wherein a first one of the plurality of openings of the top plate is located next to a first one of the plate portions, a second one of the plate portions is located next to the first one of the plurality of openings, and a second one of the plurality of openings of the top plate is located next to the second one of the plate portions.
 19. The multi-port valve assembly of claim 18, wherein a shape of each of the plurality of openings of the top plate is the same as a shape of each of the plurality of openings of the bottom plate.
 20. The multi-port valve assembly of claim 17, wherein the top plate is configured to vertically move with respect to the bottom plate in a step-wise fashion so that the top plate defines a plurality of degrees of the unsealed state with respect to the bottom plate to change the amount of conductance of materials from within the plasma processing chamber to outside the plasma processing chamber. 